Recently, Emirates has come under a lot of scrutiny on social media due to the viral video of an air stewardess pouring champagne back into a bottle and an open complaint letter by a disgruntled flyer. He complained, via a Facebook post, that Emirates standards have rapidly declined over the past year due to cost-cutting and a general lack of care for loyal customers.

The dissatisfied customer complained that rewards for loyalty are becoming increasingly difficult to redeem, airplane standards are slipping, lounges aren’t as nice as they used to be (and anyone can be allowed in if they pay – how dare they?!), and finally, the chauffeur driven service took took too long getting him home while trying to avoid Salik.     

Some of his points were fair enough, like the entertainment system being down for a whole 8 hour flight. That would annoy anyone. But Voss being “downgraded to Evian”, difficulty remaining hydrated (you can literally request water at the touch of a button), and a chair not reclining properly… it’s a hard life, isn’t it? 

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So before we came across all defensive, and biased etc. etc. we decided to check out Emirates Business Class first-hand and see whether services really are slipping to the extent the complaint made them out to be. Two return flights later, 15 hours and 6 hours long, we can safely say, they aren’t.

Here are 10 reasons why Emirates is the absolute bestestest:

1. Chauffeur Drive Service

Emirates doesn’t just limit itself to the skies. The chauffeur drive service is complimentary with all Business and First Class flights and will see you picked up from your door and dropped to the exclusive Emirates airport entrance. You’ll be escorted in a branded Beema (that’s a BMW just in case) or a Merc, and you don’t have to lift a finger because the drivers are so helpful. With a First Class flight, you also get free Wi-Fi in the car! They even provide car seats for families if necessary. Howbowdah? You get a fully fledged Emirates trip door to door (and yes, we were taken down SZR).

2. VIP Service

Upon arriving at your special Emirates entrance at the airport, you’ll be guided to the dedicated check-in desks. It feels necessary to point out there is an actual RED CARPET for the First Class travellers. There are so many Emirates employees on hand to help with whatever you need from helping you carry your bags along (because we always overpack) to navigating the airports (because no matter how many signs there are, we’ll always get lost).  

You also get priority baggage handling AND fast track immigration on arrival and departure from Dubai.

3. Lounge 

As well as being able to access the beautiful lounge, Emirates Skywards members also get additional benefits. Blue and Silver members can pay to use them, and Gold and Platinum members can pay to invite additional guests, above their complimentary guest limit. What a shame, they’re open to everyone? More like, amazing, thanks for being accessible Emirates and not perpetuating crappy restrictions for your diverse customers. You can also enjoy gourmet buffets, à la carte meals, and fresh juice bars (Voss galore, btw) and even indulge in some beauty treatments at a proper spa. Cheeky.

4. Service Onboard

Ok, so we know they’re paid to host, but Emirates staff are just that little bit more lovely than any other Airline. We received a warm welcome and were asked if we needed anything pretty much as soon as soon as our butts touched the (soft) seats. We were straight away given drinks and one very kind hostess even snapped some pics, coz you know, stuntin’ for the gram needs to be done. Oh btw, when we were given the amenity kits, our hostess gave us one extra, with a wink and a smile, because she knew we were really excited about it. Cost-cutting, I think not. 

5. Designer Deets

Why were we excited about the amenity kits you ask? Because they’re only bloomin’ Bvlgari! You know, only that luxury Italian designer brand..! Available on all long-haul night flights and on flights over 10 hours, you get Bvlgari fragrances and lotions, a compact mirror and some other fancy bits and bobs. There are different designs for men and women which is also a nice touch and they’re refreshed every nine months. Effort. 

You’ll also find Bvlgari perfumes for men and women in the (maintained) toilets, along with toothbrushes, hand cream and proper little towels (not paper)! 

6. Seats (/ Beds! Say Whaat?!)

You know that button on your arm rest, which you need both hands to press? The one that you finally get to work and then jolt back? Kinda feel guilty about how far back you go, until the person in front reclines theirs so much your nose is basically touching the screen? That one. Emirates don’t do you like that. 

In Business and First class, that button is replaced by three that allow you to configure your electronic seat to a particular position; sitting upright, a couch-like one, and a full on flat bed. You can actually lie down! And on top of that, they’ll even give you mattresses! There’s a privacy screen that you can put up or down (electronically, of course, and much to the disdain of our neighbours – What? We didn’t know what the button did!), a 20″ HD LCD screen and USB ports. 

Oh don’t even get us started on the massage button, with different settings… too good. 

7. Food 

To combat the (very real) fear of airplane food, Emirates have gourmet, regionally inspired menus. They also provide complimentary champagne and premium spirits, served throughout the flight. Nuts come in a bowl… IN A BOWL. And you’ll be eating off Royal Doulton bone china, with linen napkins and tablecloths. 

Obvs, we tried the lobster, prawn and scallop in a shellfish bisque (coz why wouldn’t you?!) but were pretty underwhelmed. The fact that we were offered lobster on a plane did not escape us though…  Probably also wouldn’t recommend the cheese platter BUT the rest of the food and the desserts were delish! 

8. Entertainment 

The range of inflight entertainment is wiiide. The Emirates system – ice – has received the Skytrax “Best Entertainment System in the World” award 12 times in a row. There are over 2,500 on-demand channels with over 500 movies from all over the world. So what did we watch? Frozen.

Don’t judge, we hadn’t seen it yet. Again, don’t judge.

Let it goooooo.

9. Ambience

Overnight, the lights are switched off, and these twinkly star-like lights are put on. It’s such a little thing, but makes such a monumental difference to your journey. It’s super pretty and a wonderful environment to be in, especially if you’re on a long trip. There’s even an Onboard Lounge, at the back of the Business Class cabin on the upper deck of the A380, with sofas, a 42″ LCD screen and mood lighting. 

10. Convenience 

From door to door, you have a full blown Emirates experience. Every bit of the usual travel hassle has been addressed and taken out, which means you have more time to just enjoy and indulge and live a fancy life full of fancy cars, fancy food and fancy seats (/ beds).

And the verdict?

While there are many who fly frequently and may notice little things that have changed, Emirates Business and First Class is definitely a trip you should take if and when you’re able to, if you haven’t yet done it. It’s a luxury experience, without the snobbiness of some luxury brands and the staff go above and beyond for their customers. While we can appreciate that there will always be naysayers, in this case, it doesn’t feel applicable, when most of the argument is based on the accessibility of First and Business classes. Everyone should be able to experience the luxury services, and if that means, slightly longer queues in the loos, so be it. It just goes to show that a negative Facebook post won’t harm one of the most loved brands in the region.